"Our technicians will file the edges down and you just get to a point where you don't have any edge left. The ski, the more you ski it, it kind of loses a little bit of life. Sometimes that's really good. But sometimes you actually want a fresher ski. So it all very much depends on the snow conditions."
Mikaela Shiffrin in "GearJunkie": shorturl.at/uwV10
Skis wear out.
Back in the sixties and seventies the issue was integrity, the skis literally fell apart, they delaminated, they warped, but those problems in almost all cases have been eliminated. K2 moved their production to China and the skis actually got better!
But that does not mean they're forever.
Last year I felt my K2 Mindbender 99s had lost something. I had nearly seventy days on them and it seemed to me they just didn't hold as well as they used to, which is one of the main reasons I bought them, I'd been a Dynastar guy forever, but the edge-holding in their latest models was inferior.
I put an expensive tune on them and it still seemed they were lacking.
And then I wondered how many days I truly had left on them. Whether to buy a new pair at discount, which I ultimately did, for less than half price.
You see most ski companies are on three year cycles. So the K2 Mindbenders from 2023, 2024 and 2025 are identical, except for the paint jobs.
Used to be skis maintained their look. Remember the old Rossignol Strato? Never mind the Heads and the Dynamic VR17s?
That's history.
But in truth, there are so many brands and so many models with so many different graphics that unless you're a student of the game you can't tell exactly which year a ski is.
Anyway...
I mounted up the new skis this year and I was positively stunned, it was a complete revelation. This is why I bought the skis to begin with, they were like ice skates, and they had life my old pair did not.
But most people would not have replaced the skis. Because my 2023 skis looked pretty fine.
But inside they were history.
Kind of like running shoes. The foam compresses. They tell you to buy a new pair, which only avid runners do. But when you finally replace your trainers...you're stunned at the cushioning, the bounce in your step.
I wear New Balance 928 V3's. I used to buy running shoes, but then "Consumer Reports" said that if you're walking you should buy walking shoes, and I bought the best Nikes but then they gave up making them and I switched to New Balances and I went to BottleRock last May and didn't bring my new pair, figuring they'd get all dirty and dusty, not knowing the promoters lay down fake grass, and my feet and legs hurt and when I ultimately came home and donned my new pair...it was a revelation.
So, if you have 70 days on your skis, trash them, use them as rock skis. You're doing yourself a disservice using them. You think you're saving money, that it makes no difference, but it does. And why should you sacrifice your enjoyment? And yes, skiing on the right equipment enhances your enjoyment, Barbara just bought new boots and was THRILLED! Her skiing vastly improved.
But boots are another thing.
If you're a skier, the most important piece of equipment is your boots. Rent skis, but buy boots. The rental boots...are wide, made to fit everybody, and soft. And you need to buy your boots at a specialty retail store, from someone who is experienced.
I could give you specific people, but you may not be in that region, so I'm going to point you to Bootfitters.com where you can find a fitter.
Of course there are shops not featured on this list that are of quality, but...there's a cult, a brotherhood (although some of the best fitters are women), and it makes a difference.
Forget the big box store.
And even some of the most famous shops and chains... Employ evanescent help. Most shops have people taking a break before they start their careers, they're full of misinformation. You want a lifer. Someone who lives to fit boots.
As for the boots themselves... The number one mistake is buying them too big, a Masterfit shop from Bootfitters.com will not allow this to happen.
As for Surefoot...
Now in truth, so many of the world class skiers, from World Cup racers to Chris Benchetler, use foam boots.
If you want to see the process done well, by professionals, go here:
www.instagram.com/sport_hun/?hl=en
Unfortunately, you'll have to go to Austria to have your foaming done.
As for Surefoot... They'll rave about their insoles, but many of the elite believe in unweighted insoles, the opposite. And the employees at Surefoot...they're not lifers. However, if you come to Vail and your boots are done by Russell Shay, who owns the company with his brother, that's a different issue. (Can you tell I've had bad experiences at Surefoot?)
As for brands...
The number one criterion is fit. Brand is secondary. Buy the boots that fit.
As for stiffness... A regular guy skier, buy a 110 or 120. A regular woman, something in the 90 range. The numbers between brands are not comparable and if you're experienced you probably already know what you want.
Never ever, NEVER EVER, buy boots online. Because it's rare that boots don't need adjustments, you need a shop that will do the work, if for no other reason than you bought your boots there and they've made money and want an ongoing relationship.
And yes, you need insoles, preferably custom.
As for skis...
Ignore the reviews. A complete waste of time. Even the ones from "Ski" magazine, which is now only online. If you want good reviews, go to Jackson Hogen's realskiers.com
However, everybody's got an opinion, everybody's got a style they like.
One of the hot skis is the Nordica Enforcer. I'd heartily recommend not buying them. Because they're STIFF! Which makes the sport more difficult. Some people want stiff skis, and those people probably don't need advice from me, but...
There are two schools of thought, Austrian/German and French. The waters have been muddied, but the concepts still apply. The Austrian/German skis are stiffer, more solid. If you want a planted ride, if you want no squirreliness...these may be for you.
The French style... Is much more lively. Which is what I prefer.
So, I'm going to tell you not to buy the Nordicas, Volkls and men's Blizzards.
WHAT?
Let's go back to the beginning. Do not buy a pair of skis without demoing multiple pairs. Believe me, you'll feel the difference. I can tell in one run, you probably will be able to too. I know people who swear by Nordica and Volkl and men's Blizzards. I've skied them and I prefer a ski that's less work, but you may feel differently.
The eighties, never mind the sixties and seventies, are history. No ski shop has all brands and all models. And most salespeople are full of shi*t. They'll sell what they've got, period.
Visit multiple shops, get different opinions.
And... If you ski fewer than ten or fifteen times a year...DON'T BUY SKIS AT ALL!
Rent them. And rent the best models, not the cheapies. In this case you can ski the latest model, near new, every time you're out there. And if you become a more dedicated skier, you'll have a frame of reference regarding purchase.
But if you are in the market for skis...
Stocklis are incredible, the smoothest skis out there, but I like something more nimble in the bumps. But if you're never in the bumps...
However you pay a premium for Stocklis.
And you pay a premium for Kastles... But they're not as good as they were when they were launched nearly two decades ago. I recommend against them.
The Heads? Great racing skis. The Supershapes are great carving skis. Their Kore skis are too light, I don't recommend any of their all-mountain models.
The Blizzards are not the tanks they used to be. And if you want Nordicas, you're probably better off with Blizzards.
Having said that, the standard for women's skis is the Blizzard Black Pearl. Period. You may like something else, but even the corresponding Mindbenders are stiffer, and you might not prefer that.
Rossignol... There are some great models, but not all of them are great.
Dynastar... I believe they're the best-turning skis out there. I love 'em, the new ones hold better than the old ones, but I'm waiting for them to get even better.
As for Fischer and Salomon... Fischer is coming back, Salomon has never recaptured the greatness, the glory from the turn of the century.
If you want custom skis, the only brand I can recommend heartily is Wagner.
As for the boutique skis... There are more ski companies than ever. If you try 'em and like 'em, great, but don't buy the sales pitch, don't buy the skis without skiing on them first.
As for the Peaks...
I've been skiing on a pair of 88s for about ten days now, because it hasn't snowed.
Which brings us to width.
If you're on the east coast, you want 70 somethings or 80 somethings. If your daily driver on the east coast is in the 90s, you're delusional.
Having said that, the standard ski in Vail is a 90 something. Because you're encountering groomed snow, crud snow and powder and that's a width that can handle all three. (The number is the width of the ski at the narrowest point in millimeters, generally speaking, the narrower the ski, the quicker the turn).
However, if you're a dedicated skier and you ski out west...
You need multiple pairs of skis, period. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. You're doing yourself a disservice only owning one pair of skis.
In Vail... You need a ninetysomething and a powder ski...anything from 108 to 120 depending on the brand and model.
Let's see...
I've got some 72s. They're too narrow and too stiff.
I've got 98s and 99s, these are my daily drivers.
I've got Peak 104s... These are utterly amazing skis. I thought they'd be too wide for everyday, but they're not. ASSUMING YOU'RE IN VAIL OR ANOTHER WESTERN RESORT WITH VARYING DEPTHS OF SNOW!
But if you want something that works in powder... The K2 Mindbender 108 is just an amazing ski, it turns better than the 99, don't ask me why.
If you're a heli-skier... The standard is the Atomic Bent Chetler 120. (As for other Atomic skis, great racing, not so good freeskiing, other than the various Bent Chetlers.)
Oh, I got sidetracked there. Let me just say I own widths from 72 to 116. Do you need as many skis as I do? No. But if you encounter powder you want a ski over 105 to do that...
So back to Peak.
What I like about the Peaks is their turnability. On a dime. The Peaks are akin to French skis, lively and quick-turning.
However, the 88 I'm on... Is the only Peak that is not unique. it's a retool of an Elan model. And this year Bode Miller retooled the Peak 88, you can see his video here:
peakskis.com/products/new-peak®-88-by-bode
Bode says it's got a wider tip and is better in crud, and skis like the rest of the line.
I don't know, I don't have a pair. But I will tell you last year's 88s, which I do have, don't ski like my Peak 98, 104 or 110s.
But they've been perfect for the groomers.
But I had to learn how to ski them.
Yes, within brands sometimes models ski differently.
As for Peaks... If you're interested, they have a money back guarantee. Ski them and if you don't like them, even if you've trashed them, you'll get your money back. If you're interested, I recommend trying them out, I truly dig them.
As for bindings...
I'm gonna tell you to get the Look Pivot.
But you may not believe they're worth the premium.
In truth, all bindings are good these days. However, the standard, the biggest seller, is Marker. The Griffon for most men. For most women, the Squier.
This is just a general overview.
I've been thinking about all this riding the lifts these past weeks.
As for skiing itself...
It has never been cheaper. BUT YOU MUST BUY THE TICKETS IN ADVANCE! Whether it be a season's pass or just a number of days, if you buy them before early December, you're going to save a ton. There's nothing like a season's pass... If the weather is crummy, you don't feel obligated to stay out there. And with Epic and Ikon, break even is about five days, so...
People trash Epic/Vail Resorts like they trash Spotify.
But Spotify is the standard with the most market share. And Vail is too.
If you go to a Vail resort, you'll find standardization and quality. will you find crowds? Quite possibly. But I can tell you multiple lifts at Vail never ever have a line at all. But most people never read the map and stay in Mid-Vail, lifts 3 and 4, or lifts 2 and 11.
But that's another story.
One more thing... Many people hate change. Ignore them. There was a brouhaha when Vail wanted to turn the original Back Bowl lift into a high-speed one. The oldsters said it was going to be more crowded and all kinds of hogwash, but now that it's there, there's never a peep. And lines got long so they installed another high speed lift in the original Back Bowls.
As a matter of fact, each and every lift at Vail, other than baby beginner lifts, is a high speed. These people will put down Vail and rave about their local place with slow lifts...
P.S. Be wary of buying skis that are too short. This seems to be more of an issue these days than too long. And don't buy reverse camber skis...unless you know what they are and spend a ton of time in powder!
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